Rachel Wolfson Ms.

Gardner Honors English 10 13 September 2013 Sonnet 18 Analysis

Wolfson 1

A summers day perishes in short time: However, the poets loved one shines bright for as long as life exists. His poem starts with a metaphor by asking if he should compare his lover to a summers day. He immediately rejects this idea because the special person he is writing this to is even more beautiful than the summer. He then goes on to explain that eventually the summer grows old and dies. He mentions that the buds of May, symbolism for the flowers that grow during that time, eventually fall off. In the next line, Shakespeare, the poet, makes an excellent use of cacophony by using it to describe how short the summer is. He uses personification for the sun to say that the eye of heaven tends to shine too bright as well not shine enough at all. He ultimately says that the summer is not always nice, and tends to change over time, having many flaws. On contrast, Shakespeare uses an apostrophe in his turning point to say that his loved one will never grow old and fade like the summer. Theyd always be beautiful, and death will never claim her. This loved one is immortal, and will live as long as there are people alive to read this poem and know of them. Overall, Shakespeare is telling his beloved that they are far more beautiful than a summers day. It ceases to remain beautiful soon after it arrives. His loved one, on the other hand, will live and be beautiful forever as long as their beauty is seen and heard through this poem, which it still is even today.